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Yesterday, past Cougar football great Leon Bender was honored when the Santee (Calif.) City Council proclaimed May 30, 2013 as May 30, 2013 as Leon Bender Day.

Bender was a star player on the Cougars' 1997 Pac-10 Championship team and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. But on May 30, 1998, just five weeks after the NFL Draft, Bender passed away from complications stemming from an epileptic seizure suffered while in Georgia preparing for the Raiders' mini-camp.

The Winter edition of Cougars Quarterly has arrived in the mailboxes of Cougar Athletic Fund members and season ticket holders. Featured in the issue is an interview with Football Coach Mike Leach. In addition to football, Coach Leach discusses Pullman, the new football facilities, and by the excerpt below, his love of history and movies.

CQ: You are a student of history. What is it about history that you love?

Leach: First of all, you don't need to go to the television set to find drama. We are in the middle of it. There are incredible stories and levels of achievement in the past. There are a lot of lessons to be learned.

CQ: You are working on a book about Geronimo?

Leach: The opportunity to work with a historian like (WSU professor) Buddy Levy on a book about Geronimo, who was certainly incredibly courageous and a visionary, is a rare opportunity and one I couldn't pass up.

CQ: Do you take what Geronimo represents and apply it to your coaching?

Leach: I think so. We'll illustrate some of those points in the book. Not specifically in the context of coaching, but working with groups of people and what a group of people together can achieve and accomplish; some of the forces and influences that bind them, hold them together, motivate them and drive them.

CQ: Speaking of history, have you seen any of the Oscar-nominated movies, such as Zero Dark Thirty and Argo?

Leach: Yes, Zero Dark Thirty I liked. It felt like a documentary but I liked it and enjoyed it. I saw Argo. I was in high school when those events took place and I remember them. It was impressive to see the inside story about that on the screen.

CQ: Did you see Lincoln?

Leach: I saw Lincoln. I think Daniel Day-Lewis will be Best Actor because as you sit through the movie I found myself sub-vocalizing some of the phrases and trying to morph into Lincoln because of the effective job he did.

CQ: Any other favorites?

Leach: Django Unchained is my personal favorite. More my type of movie. The most impressive is how quickly he (director Quentin Tarantino) can develop and illustrate characters and even though they're over the top, they still stay within a semi-realistic fashion and I thought it was really impressive.

Washington State Athletics embarked on a four-city tour during February to give Cougar fans the opportunity to spend "A Night with Cougar Football." Hear from past Cougar players in this video from the "A Night with Cougar Football" event in Seattle.

Check out a photo gallery from all of the "A Night with Cougar Football" events here.

Cougar football legends Duke Washington (L) and Alex Brink (R) visit with the Apple Cup during the Cougar Athletic Fund Night With Cougar Football event in Seattle, Friday, Feb. 22.

Washington, a member of the Athletics Hall of Fame, was running back for the Cougars from 1951-54 and Brink quarterbacked WSU from 2004-07. Though their careers span a half century apart, the two have something in common: defeating Washington three times. Washington's Cougar Football team defeated the Huskies in 1951, 1953, and 1954 and Brink was on the team that defeated Washington in 2004, 2005, and 2007, becoming the first quarterback in Cougar Football history to defeat the Huskies three times.

When the Cougars visited Texas in October, 1954, Washington became the first African-American to play at Memorial Stadium in Austin. The historic game and the story surrounding it is recounted in this Washington State Magazine feature from Fall 2009.

Brink and Washington are among the numerous student-athletes at Washington State who have earned the prestigious the prestigious Gray "W." For more information on the Gray "W" Varsity Club click HERE.

This Saturday on the campus of Oklahoma University, the Washington State flag will be waving for the 127 consecutive telecast of ESPN's College Gameday.

This time, it's not traveling far from its home office.

Berry Tramel tells the story of the official organizer of Washington State's flag distribution tradition. Learn how the flag gets from location to location each week and get a history of the flags used over the years.

Past Cougar kicker, Jason Hanson was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week by the NFL. Hanson converted all four of his field-goal attempts, including the game-winning 45-yarder in overtime, giving the Detroit Lions a 26-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Hanson, who scored 14 points, helped the Lions
overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and sent the game into overtime with
a 19-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in regulation.

He has nine career overtime field goals, tied
for the most in NFL history.

Hanson has 2,074 career points and passed John Carney 2,062) for the third-most
points in NFL history. His 2,074 points are the most ever by a player with one
franchise. He has 479 field goals and passed Carney (478) for the third-most in
NFL history. Hanson's 479 field goals are the most ever by a player with one
franchise.

In his 21st
season from WSU, this is Hanson's 12th career Player of the Week
Award.

Hanson (12)
surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (11) for the most Player of the Week Awards in Lions history.

Hanson
was the first ever NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1, 1993).

Past Cougar defensive backs, Husain and Hamza Abdullah are taking the year off from the NFL to make a pilgrimage to Mecca in October. They spent 30 days earlier this summer traveling around the United State to connect with fellow Muslims.

The story of how Cyrus Coen became a promising linebacker at Washington State doesn't begin with his high school career in Honolulu. It goes back a couple of generations, to an old familiar name in WSU football lore.

Bud Withers of the Seattle Times explores the link between Coen and WSU hall-of-famer Jack Thompson.

Most know him as the big guy with the big hair in the middle of Washington State's defensive line, a 6-foot 3, 305-pound junior nose tackle who has helped the Cougars to a No. 30 national ranking in run defense through their first three games.

Spokesman Review reporter, Christian Caple, has the story of Ioane Gauta's rise on the Cougar defensive line.

Washington
State returned to the practice field Monday afternoon, working out in helmets
and shoulder pads for just over two hours on Rogers Field.

The
Cougars worked through some individual drills and later went through some
special teams segments that focused on kickoff coverage and return. A few loud
pops seemed to dial the intensity up a notch as WSU moved into 7-vs.-7 where
both the offense and defense turned in a couple nice plays. For the offense,
freshman wideout Gabe Marks made a couple nice catches, as did Marquess Wilson
and Rickey Galvin. For the defense, linebacker Justin Sagote came away with an
interception after he broke up a pass intended for Brett Bartolone as the ball
bounced off of both players before Sagote snatched it up and raced to the end
zone.

In
11-vs.-11, Leon Brooks exploded through a hole for a big gain late in the day.
The end of practice saw head coach Mike Leach bring both sides together and
once again said the two sides would square off in a best of three in a
third-down situatoin. The loser would do a couple up-downs at the end. The
defense won the first play, stuffing a third down and four running play but the
offense came back with a pair of completions. Quarterback Jeff Tuel found Carl
Winston in space to pick up a third and short before Tuel clinched the win by
hitting Wilson down the field to convert on a third and long.

Washington
State worked out for two hours in shoulder pads and helmets on Rogers Field
Friday afternoon.

The
Cougars worked through their individual workouts before breaking out into one
filed working on running offense/defense while on the east field, wide receivers
and defensive backs went one-on-one.

From
there, WSU worked on punt coverage while the quarterbacks threw fades into
trash cans on the east field.

There
was a brief 7-vs.-7 with Chester Su'a and Deone Bucannon intercepting passes
for the defense.

In
the day's final segment, 11-vs.-11, the offense rebounded from a tough Thursday
practice with an impressive Friday as the quarterbacks made a number of nice
throws throughout the day. Connor Halliday found Gabe Marks and Isiah Myers on
consecutive plays for scores.

Similar
to earlier in the week, head coach Mike Leach put the ball inside the five yard
line for the final three plays. It was the defense that won earlier in the week
but it was all offense today as Jeff Tuel found Gino Simone for a score on the first
play. Tuel then connected with Bennett Bontemps who dove across the goal line
for the score and the offense went to post a sweep as Tuel fired a quick strike to Isiah Myers for a touchdown.

WSU
will hold its first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday at 4 p.m. at Martin Stadium
with a fan autograph session scheduled to follow from 5:30-7 p.m. Gates to
Martin Stadium will open at 3:45 p.m. and fans will be allowed on the field
following the scrimmage.

The
Cougars continued to mix things up at fall camp, working out on Rogers Field in
full pads for an hour before heading down into Martin Stadium for the final
hour and a half.

WSU
opened practice with some individual segments that focused on technique before
splitting off and working on the running game on the east field while receivers
and defensive cornerbacks squared off in one-on-one battles on the west field.

Special
continued to receive a little more time as the Cougars worked on punt coverage
on Rogers Field before going through kickoff coverage in the stadium.

The
Cougars held a brief 7-vs.-7 segment before going 11-vs.-11 and eventually
another "live" scrimmage. Safety Tyree Toomer had a big hit on freshman wideout
Brett Bartolone who held on for the catch and five yard gain. Linebacker Cyrus
Coen turned in the best day for the defense, breaking up a pass while dropping
back in coverage on one play before chasing down a running back from the
backside and stopping him for a tackle-for-loss, one of nicer defensive plays
made in fall camp so far.

Towards
the end of the scrimmage, freshman cornerback Ray Ford broke up a pass intended
for Marquess Wilson. It was a nice play by the Cougars newest addition.

The
day ended with field goals as Andrew Furney connected on all four of his
attempts from 37, 42, 48 and 52 yards.

Washington
State continued its fall camp with a two-hour workout in shoulder pads and
helmets on Rogers Field Wednesday afternoon. Tons of energy throughout the day
on both fields.

It
was a defensive day as the Cougars worked through some individual drills before
going through special teams drills that focused on kickoff coverage and
returns.

In
7-vs.-7, Matthew Simmons was the first to tally a turnover, picking off a pass
before freshman Taylor Taliulu picked off Connor Halliday on the west field.
Minutes later, linebacker Eric Oertel recorded an interception off of a
deflected pass and safety Mitchell Peterson later picked up an INT of his own
with a diving grab on the east field.

It
was more of the same in 11-vs.-11 as the defense opened the segment with a "sack."
Tyrone Duckett later caused a turnover by forcing a fumble before head coach
Mike Leach dialed up the intensity a little more at the end of the day.

Leach
placed the ball at the three yard line and decided the two sides would square
off in a best of three plays. The first play saw Jeff Tuel connect with
freshman Brett Bartolone for a score but the defense rebounded with a "sack" by
Travis Long and a pass breakup in the end zone to clinch the win. The offense
did a couple up-downs for losing.

Washington
State continued its fall camp with a two-hour workout in shoulder pads and
helmets on Rogers Field Wednesday afternoon. Tons of energy throughout the day
on both fields.

It
was a defensive day as the Cougars worked through some individual drills before
going through special teams drills that focused on kickoff coverage and
returns.

In
7-vs.-7, Matthew Simmons was the first to tally a turnover, picking off a pass
before freshman Taylor Taliulu picked off Connor Halliday on the west field.
Minutes later, linebacker Eric Oertel recorded an interception off of a
deflected pass and safety Mitchell Peterson later picked up an INT of his own
with a diving grab on the east field.

It
was more of the same in 11-vs.-11 as the defense opened the segment with a "sack."
Tyrone Duckett later caused a turnover by forcing a fumble before head coach
Mike Leach dialed up the intensity a little more at the end of the day.

Leach
placed the ball at the three yard line and decided the two sides would square
off in a best of three plays. The first play saw Jeff Tuel connect with
freshman Brett Bartolone for a score but the defense rebounded with a "sack" by
Travis Long and a pass breakup in the end zone to clinch the win. The offense
did a couple up-downs for losing.

Washington
State worked out in helmets and shoulder pads for just over two hours on Rogers
Field Sunday afternoon.

The
Cougars continued to work through a similar practice schedule as the first
three, opening with individual position drills before working through some team
segments and then moving on to 7-vs.-7 drills.

In
7-vs.-7, freshmen linebacker Jeremiah Allison made one of the best athletic plays
so far in camp, leaping to make an interception has he was dropping back into
coverage. On the west field, sophomore linebacker Chester Su'a closed out
7-vs.-7 with a pick that he took to the house.

Special
teams followed 7-vs.-7 and the Cougars focused on punt coverage, shedding
blocks and working on containing the punt returner.

During
11-vs.-11 at the end of the day, again both the offense and defense traded big
plays. The defense came up with a couple interceptions and later made a couple
stops in a red zone drill. The offense received a couple long runs from
Teondray Caldwell, a long pass from Connor Halliday to freshman Gabe Marks for
a score, a diving catch by freshman Brett Bartolone and a leaping catch by
Ricky Galvin.

The
intensity will pick up a little more tomorrow as the Cougars will go full pads
for the first time in fall camp. Practice is set to begin at 2:45 p.m.

WSU
continued fall camp with a two hour workout in helmets only on Rogers Field
Friday afternoon.

The
Cougars worked through a similar format as Thursday, going through individual
position segments before moving on to team segments with the defense on the east
field and the offense on the west side. From there, they went into a 7-vs.-7
segment where walk-on wideout Mark Urtz made a leaping one-handed catch along the
sideline.

On
the west field during 7-vs.-7, quarterback Connor Halliday and freshmen wideout
Gabe Marks provided the highlight of the day. On a long pass from Halliday,
Marks out-jumped two defenders and held on to the ball as he tumbled into the
end zone.

WSU
then worked through some special teams segments that focused on punt coverage.

In
the day's final segment, 11-vs.-11, both the offense and defense made plays but
neither side able to gain the upper hand. Quarterback Jeff Tuel closed his day
with a touchdown strike to Bobby Ratliff.

In
his post-practice media session, head coach Mike Leach announced that
cornerback "Raymond Ford is Cougar and we are excited to have him and he
just got in today."

The
Cougars will add shoulder pads to tomorrow's practice, slated for 2:45 p.m. on
Rogers Field.

We're a few days before fall camp and WSU redshirt sophomore Connor Halliday plans to compete for the starting quarterback job. The Seattle Times chronicles Halliday's journey to get back on the field after suffering a lacerated liver in a game against Utah last season.

Washington
State continued spring drills Thursday, working out in helmets for two hours on
Rogers Field.

The
Cougars covered a number of drills including a walk-thru on how they will
stretch and warm up prior to Saturday's Crimson and Gray game in Spokane.

WSU
worked through individuals before special teams focused on punt coverage and
kickoff return. With the pads off, the intensity was lacking and coach Mike
Leach pointed it out during his post-practice media session.

A
couple highlights in the team session was linebacker Cyrus Coen who made two
athletic interceptions while in coverage. For the offense, wideout Dominique
Williams made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the corner of the end zone
thrown by Jeff Tuel. Fellow wideout Bobby Ratliff also made a nice catch,
reaching behind him to corral a pass with only his right hand.

Saturday's
spring game is scheduled of 1 p.m. at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane. The final
spring workout will be Tuesday at 3:10 p.m. on Rogers Field.

Check
out the post-practice interviews with Coach Leach and Dominique
Williams by visiting INSIDE COUGAR FOOTBALL.

Washington State continued
springs drills Thursday afternoon, working out in helmets and shoulder pads for
two and a half hours.

The
Cougars continued to work through individual position segments mixed in with a
couple special teams segments before moving into 7-vs.-7 and team.

In
special teams, the Cougs kicked field goals as Andrew Furney went 2-of-3,
hitting from 15 and 28 before slightly missing left from 40 yards out. Michael
Bowlin knocked in both of his kicks while working with the second unit, hitting
from 34 and 42. Special teams coordinator Eric Russell then put the team through
punt coverage with Bowlin taking a majority of the kicks.

WSU
then worked through 7-vs.-7 before capping the day with a team segment. The
defense held their own early on as Daniel Simmons highlighted the early series
with an over-the-shoulder pick in the end zone. The offense closed out the day
with a couple touchdowns while working during the red zone segment. Quarterback
David Gilbertson threw a pair of touchdowns, hitting Marquess Wilson in the
back of the end zone before dropping a fade into the arms of Blair Bomber in the
back left corner for the score that ended the day.

Washington
State returned to the practice field Tuesday afternoon, working out in helmets
and shoulder pads under the sun on Rogers Field.

The
Cougars continued to work through all aspects of the game, offense, defense and
special teams. The first segment of practice saw the wideouts focus on getting
rid of the defensive back while getting off the line of scrimmage. On the other
field, the linebackers and running backs squared off in a blocking drill,
simulating a blitz while the running back stepped up to pick up the blitz.

Following
a 7-vs.-7 drill, the Cougs worked through a special teams segment that focused
on kickoff coverage and kickoff return. Horton closed out the 7-vs.-7 segment
with a one-handed pick, holding on to the ball with his right hand while
battling a wideout along the sideline. Nice play by the all-conference corner.

WSU
then capped the day with a team segment. Cornerback Daniel Simmons made a nice
pick on the sideline, dragging his feet as he fell out of the bounds to
register the INT. Horton later picked up his second pick of the day after Deone
Bucannon broke up a pass and Horton corralled the tipped ball for the INT.

The
offense received a couple nice catches by Marquess Wilson who went high up to
snatch the ball away from a DB in traffic. Jeff Tuel later connected with
newcomer Drew Loftus for a long touchdown pass.

The
Cougars continue spring drills Thursday at 3:10 p.m.

GO
COUGS!

Check
out the post-practice interviews with Coach Leach, Deone Bucannon and John
Fullington by visiting INSIDE COUGAR FOOTBALL

The
Cougars worked out in helmets and shoulder pads for just over two hours on
Rogers Field Thursday. Despite no being in full pads, intensity was probably
the highest its been all spring as a couple skirmishes broke out during the
practice.

Practice
opened with the offense working on one field with the defense working on the
opposite field. The defense was working on a pop and chase drill, with four
players popping the sled before racing to one sideline. There were three cones
set up on the sideline and the four players were racing to grab one of the cones,
the one that didn't get a cone, did a couple up-downs. High intensity drills
that set the tone for the day. Tons of energy by each defensive coach as well
as the players.

The
offense continued to work through its passing drills before working through
7-vs.-7. Quarterbacks Connor Halliday and Jeff Tuel rotated operating the No. 1
and No. 2 offenses. The highlight of the day came from the offense after a
couple big hits by the defense. Running back Leon Brooks took a screen pass
from Tuel, got behind his blockers and scampered some 50+ yards for the score,
causing the offensive players to storm the field and sprint to the end zone to
celebrate with the always-smiling Brooks.

A
newcomer followed with a nice play of his own minutes later as running back Teondray
Caldwell juked a defender, resulting in the defender falling down and offense
to again celebrate on the field.

Much
more competitive practice today, just what coach Leach said he was looking for
after Tuesday's sluggish workout.

Saturday's
practice has been pushed back to 1:10 p.m. in Martin Stadium. The Cougars will
work out and are expected to scrimmage for a majority of the practice.

GO
COUGS!

Check
out the post-practice interviews with Coach Leach, Deone Bucannon and Jeff Tuel
by visiting INSIDE COUGAR FOOTBALL

Washington
State resumed spring drills with a full pads workout for just over two hours on
Rogers Field Tuesday. The Cougars focused a little more on "skelly" and team
segments today.

With
each practice, the Cougs are implementing more and more of special teams. Today
they focused on the technique to blocking kicks and field goals. There were a
ton of plays in the team session as some of the series' saw the Cougs play "live"
with tackling and moving up and down field to simulate and actual "drive."

The
defense probably won the day, mainly on the defensive line and linebackers with
Toni Pole and Chester Su'a each blowing up a running play to bring "ooohs" and "aaahhs"
from the other defensive players.

Quarterback
Jeff Tuel made a couple nice throws to Bobby Ratliff and Andrei Lintz in
traffic to highlight the day for the offense. Kickers Andrew Furney and Michael
Bowlin capped the day with field goals. Furney worked with the first team and
was a perfect 4-for-4, hitting from 47, 42 and twice from 39. Bowlin later hit
from 39, missed from 47 and ended the day hitting from 45 with room to spare.

The
Cougars practiced for just over two hours in helmets and shoulder pads on
Rogers Field Thursday. The rain held off until the final 20 minutes of practice
when it really started to come down, making the post-practice media session a
little fun.

Coach
Mike Leach and the coaching staff continued to put the team through another up-tempo
practice that saw all players received a good number of reps. There were a
couple solid hits but nothing that stood out. Just as the defense won during
most of Tuesday's practice, the offense settled in and turned in most of the highlights.

Early
in the team session, the final segment of practice, Jeff Tuel connected with
Dominique Williams for a score. While that play was happening, Max Hersey caught
a long pass on the opposite field for a score. A couple plays later, Henry
Eaddy also got behind the defense for a long touchdown catch. Tuel finished
practice very well, spreading the ball to nearly every receiver from sideline
to sideline, hitting Blair Bomber in stride for a score before finding Bobby
Ratliff in traffic for another score. Marcus Mason capped his day with a long
scoring run, sprinting past a couple defenders before they could get a hand on
him.

The
defense started the team session well with Deone Bucannon corralling a tipped
pass for the INT. Damante Horton later made a great play, jumping a route to
make the pick and keep his feet inbounds on the play. Tyree Toomer made the hit
of the day, "de-cleating" Hersey as he came across the middle.There wasn't anything dirty about the play,
Toomer made a great read on the ball and collided with Hersey as he came across
for the catch, which he held on to and even flipped the ball back at Toomer
after he got back up.Nice play by the
freshman tight end who redshirted this past season.

WSU
will practice Saturday at 10:10 a.m. The first hour or so is expected to be a
practice before the team will head down to Martin Stadium for a scrimmage.

The Cougars worked out in shoulder pads for the
first time this spring, practicing for just over two hours on Rogers
Field Tuesday afternoon.

With
the addition of shoulder pads, there was a lot more energy throughout the field
today. Loud smacks could be heard from all over the field. The biggest smacks
came during a couple drills that occurred at the same time on two different
fields. The first couple and the loudest of the day came from linebacker Darryl
Monroe during a running game drill that featured the offensive line and running
back against the defensive line and linebackers. Just like what he did last
spring and fall, the young backer quickly stepped up to fill a running lane and
either blow up the pulling lineman or the running back.

On
the offensive field, there was 7-vs.-7 taking place and the biggest "pops" came
from a familiar name on the defensive side in safety Deone Bucannon. The junior
to be squared up a couple receivers coming over the middle on a few occasions,
bringing some yells from his defensive teammates. The defense turned in one of
its better days as a whole, popping a lot and even getting "pick-6" from
linebacker Cory Laufasa who has moved to the defensive side of the ball after
spending the past two seasons at fullback.

The
offense saw wideouts Bobby Ratliff and Andrei Lintz each turn in another good
practice. Both are catching everything in sight. Not to be overlooked but
Marquess Wilson and Kristoff Williams each had catches that went for scores.

The
Cougars will keep the pads on for Thursday's practice at 3:10 p.m.

The
Cougars practiced at Rogers Field in helmets and shorts for two and a half
hours Saturday. Head Coach Mike Leach and his coaching staff continued to work
the Cougs through a fast-paced up-tempo practice.

There
were a number of individual segments that allowed each position coach to teach
the new terminology. There were segments that focused on on-on-one matchups
between the receivers and defensive backs and later went 7-vs.-7 while the
linemen squared off in the opposite end of the complex.

There
were a couple extra minutes put into special teams today, with the focus on
punt and kickoff coverage. New kicker Michael Bowlin punted the ball very well
in his first outing as a Coug to impress the attending fans and media members.
Special Teams coordinator Eric Russell also put the team through some kickoff
coverage drills.

Once
again, the highlight of the practice was the team segment held at the end of
the day. Both sides of the ball turned a couple nice plays as Tyree Toomer and
Chester Su'a each picked off passes. Su'a's INT came towards the end of
practice as he jumped an inside route to make the pick from his left outside
linebacker position. On the offensive side of the ball, Blair Bomber had a
number of catches in space and broke off some big runs. Towards the end of the
day, Jeff Tuel connected with Marquess Wilson over the middle for a long score.
Wilson, along with newcomer Hawaii transfer Drew Loftus made a couple nice
catches throughout the day.

Coach
Leach was very happy with the second day of practice. He said he implemented
another third of the offense today and is looking forward to putting pads on
next week.

The
Cougars are expected to put on shoulder pads for their next practice, Tuesday
at 3:10 p.m. at Rogers Field.

PULLMAN, Wash - Washington State University
held its first spring practice under new head coach Mike Leach at Rogers Field Thursday
afternoon.

The
Cougars worked out in helmets and shorts on a warm sunny afternoon as Leach and
his new coaching staff had the team go through a number of drills throughout the
day.

Quarterbacks
Jeff Tuel and Connor Halliday split a majority of the reps on offense with both
players completing a number of passes including a couple long throws to Marquess
Wilson, Kristoff Williams and Brett McDonald. The Cougar offense worked through
a couple different passing drills that matched the receivers against the defensive
backs while the defense worked against the offense on the opposite field. Players
from both sides rotated between both fields so there wasn't a true "scout team"
on either field.

The
final 30 minutes pitted the offense, led by Tuel and Halliday, against the
defense that continued to shuffle players in and out throughout the day's final
segment. Wilson, Bobby Ratliff, Kristoff Williams and Dominique Williams each caught long touchdowns while McDonald,
who walked on last season and earned WSU Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year
honors, made a couple tough catches in traffic to bring some cheers from the coaching
staff and offensive players.

The
defense saw Tyree Toomer and Deone Bucannon each intercept passes but the play
of the day came at the end of the team session in the endzone as Eric Oertel,
playing as an outside linebacker, leaped high in the air to pick off a Halliday
pass. The highlight brought some loud yells from the defensive coaches and
players and even saw outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons come over to high
five Oertel after the play.

Leach
spoke with the team for a few minutes after practice before selecting Oertel as
the player to break the team down after the first spring's first practice.

The
Cougars will practice in helmets and shorts 10:10 a.m. Saturday at Rogers
Field.

Last week, Director of Athletics Bill Moos received a firsthand look at the progress of The Cougar Football Project, Thursday, Jan. 5. Check out photos from the visit on The Cougar Football Project Facebook page HERE and watch video footage below.

The Cougs went through their normal Thursday practice
routine, working on special teams in Martin Stadium before the defense went up
to Rodgers practice field to work against the scout team while the offense
worked against the scout defense in the stadium...a lot of energy from the guys
this week, a lot louder and a lot more physical than the past couple weeks...the
team heads to San Francisco tomorrow and will have a walk-thru at AT&T Park,
home of MLB's San Francisco Giants, in the afternoon before checking into the
hotel...we hope to have video from tomorrow's walk-thru...GO COUGS!

The Cougars worked out in full pads for just under two hours
Tuesday afternoon...tons of energy coming from both the offense and defense today...whether
it was from defensive coordinator Chris Ball or from quarterback Marshall
Lobbestael, the Cougs turned in one of their better practices of the season
today...the defense was flying around, as a number of players picked off passes
against the scout team while Lobbestael fired strikes to the receivers all
over the field and the o-line continued to give Lobbestael time...last week's team awards were: Jared Karstetter-offensive,
Damante Horton-defensive, Bennett Bontemps -special teams for second straight
week, Deone Bucannon-big hit, Horton-Big play, Zach Johnson-scout offense, Tana
Pritchard-scout defense for second straight week and third time this season ...GO
COUGS!

WSU practiced for just under two hours in full pads Tuesday
afternoon...for the second straight day there was a noticeable amount of energy
heard and seen throughout practice...kicker Andrew Furney blasted a couple field
goal from 37 yards out before the Cougs worked through punt coverage and punt
return...both the offense and defense then worked against the scout teams... the
Cougs did some perfect 10's before one final 15-minute segment of team...below is
coach Wulff's teleconference...GO COUGS!

The Cougars returned to the practice field to begin preparations
for Oregon tonight...the team worked out in just helmets for just over an hour
and spent a lot more time on gameplanning than any previous Monday workout...a
lot of energy and noise coming out of the defense tonight, good to hear Alex
Hoffman-Ellis leading the way...this morning, the coaches announced their weekly
team awards, awarding Marquess Wilson offensive player of the week, Bennett
Bontemps special teams player of the week, Anthony Carpenter got the Big Hit
award, Wilson got the Big Play, running back Kyle Lappano was named scout team
player of the week on offense and linebacker Tana Pritchard named defensive
scout team player of the week...the Cougs return to practice tomorrow in full
pads...GO COUGS!

The Cougs continued to fine tune their gameplanning for
Oregon State today...another typical Thursday as they worked in both Martin
Stadium and Rogers Field...the offense worked against the scout team in the Martin
with the addition of crowd noise blaring throughout the workout...the defense
worked against the scout team on Rodgers Field...following practice, coach Paul
Wulff announced that the captains for this week will be Alex Hoffman-Ellis,
Jeff Tuel, Travis Long and Gino Simone...the Cougs will work out tomorrow morning
before heading to Seattle...GO COUGS!

The Cougars continued preparations for Oregon State with a
two hour workout in full pads on Rodgers Field...tons of energy from both the
players and the coaches throughout the day, despite a light rain that fell
early...the Cougs opened with some segments on kickoff and kickoff return
coverage before going into some individual segments...later in the day, there was
the typical Wednesday segments that saw the lineman face off, while the offense
and defense went skelly on the west field...the Cougs continued to mix things up
at the end of day, going through a "bonzai" segment that is an even quick
two-minute drill...the team then returned to working against the scout teams for
the final 15 minutes...practice moves down to Martin Stadium tomorrow before the
Cougs head to Seattle Friday...GO COUGS!

The Cougs held their walk-thru in Martin Stadium today, going for about and hour in just shorts and t-shirts...following a couple special teams segments, the offense and defense split up to walk-thru some Stanford "looks" a couple more times...the game captions were announced, joining Alex Hoffman-Ellis and Jared Karstetter will be Carl Winston and Anthony Laurenzi...see you tomorrow Coug fans...GO COUGS!

The Cougs returned to the practice field for a two-hour
workout today, practicing in full pads once again at Rogers Field...the first
couple segments focused on special teams before the offense and defense broke
out for a couple segments with their individual position coaches...there was a
lot of team segments, both the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses and defenses worked
against the scout teams...coach Paul Wulff again mixed things up towards the end
of practice with a five minute "bonzai" segment that mirrors a two-minute drill
just to put the players in some pressure situations towards the end of the day...the
final 15 minutes were live against the scout teams so a the Cougs closed the
day with a lot of energy...GO COUGS!

The Cougars worked out in full pads for just over two hours
on Rodgers Field Tuesday...the Cougs opened with some special teams as Andrew
Furney capped his day with a pair of field goals from 42 yards...the Cougs then
worked on punt coverage and punt return beforerunning a two-minute drill...Marshall Lobbestael spent the day working
with the 1's while Jeff Tuel took a majority of snaps with the 2's...following a
couple individual segments, the Cougs worked against the scout teams who went
through some Stanford formations...the team continued to mix things up near the
end of practice, running perfect 1010-yard sprints before returning to one final 15-minutes period of team...we
have footage of coach Wulff's weekly teleconference...GO COUGS!

The Cougars held a 90-minute practice wearing
helmets and skelly pads in Martin Stadium today...the first couple segments
focused on special teams before the offense worked against the scout defense
while the defense worked against the scout team offense...a lot of energy again
during practice today, a lot more than weeks past...the team travels to Boulder,
Colo. tomorrow morning and we will hope to have a video of the team at Folsom
Field tomorrow...Saturday's game captains will be Alex Hoffman-Ellis, Jared Karstetter, Travis Long and Marshall Lobbestael...GO COUGS!

The Cougs worked out for just over an hour in helmets and
shoulder pads Thursday afternoon...it was the final workout of the week...practiced
started with Andrew Furney kicking field goals, including one from 49
yards...a punting segment followed before the team worked through some
individual segments with their position coaches...the team then went into
one-on-one battles...the final segments were 11-vs.-11...Marquess Wilson turned in
the highlight of the day, diving to catch his own deflection before the ball
hit the ground, bringing some "ooooos" and "ahhhhs" from players on both sides
of the ball...the team will have tomorrow and Saturday off before returning to
the practice field Sunday night to begin preparations for Colorado...have a good
weekend Coug fans, GO COUGS!

WSU worked out in full pads for just under two hours
Wednesday afternoon...the Cougs dialed up the intensity even more today,
competing in one-on-one battles in a number of drills, with the lineman squaring off,
the linebackers facing the running backs and tight ends while the receivers and
defensive backs battled...the defense played well early on, as Damante Horton and
Mike Ledgerwood each picked off passes in the first 11 vs. 11 segment...Marshall
Lobbestael did provide the offense with a nice highlight as he completed a long pass
to Marquess Wilson...in the day's final 11 vs. 11 segment, Deone Bucannon had a
pair of interceptions and Jordan Simone made a leaping INT of a Connor Halliday
pass to cap a very good day by the defense...tons of energy throughout the day by
the players and coaches...the Cougs will practice tomorrow before taking Friday, Saturday and Sunday off...GO COUGS!

The Cougs traveled to San Diego this morning and after
arriving, headed directly to Qualcomm Stadium to check out the playing surface,
the locker room and get a feel for how things will look inside the stadium...former
Cougar great Ryan Leaf made an appearance at the stadium, greeting the team as
they got off the bus and talking with a couple guys as they checked things out, including Jeff Tuel and Marshall
Lobbestael...the team then left and checked
into the hotel...later, they will have a team dinner before going through some
film and reviewing the game plan...GO
COUGS!

The Cougs worked out in just helmets and their "skelly"
shoulder pads for just over an hour in Martin Stadium Thursday afternoon...the
team reviewed its game plans for both sides of the ball with the offense
working in Martin Stadium while the defense going up to Rogers Field for the
majority of practice...at the end of practice, coach Paul Wulff announced that
Tyree Toomer and Isiah Barton will serve as captains along with Alex
Hoffman-Ellis and Jared Karstetter...the Cougs head to San Diego late Friday
morning...game time for Saturday is 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on The
Mountain...GO COUGS!

For the second consecutive day, the Cougars worked out for
two hours in full pads and the intensity was dialed up...a little bit more noise coming
from coaches yelling and from pads popping really stood out today...the Cougs
continued to implement the game plan for San Diego State, working through a
couple individual segments before going through a couple extended segments against
the scout teams...Alex Hoffman-Ellis and Deone Bucannon each had INT's while
working against the scout team...the final five minutes was a full 11-vs.-11
segment that had the No. 1 offense face off against the No. 2 defense and the
No. 1 defense face the No. 2 offense...Marquess Wilson highlighted the day with
one of the better catches we have seen this fall...Wilson worked his way down
field before extending out to snag a Marshall Lobbestael pass using just his
left hand before falling to the ground and holding on for the one-handed catch...the
offense celebrated and coach Paul Wulff called it a day a few plays later...the
Cougs will work out tomorrow before heading to San Diego Friday morning...GO
COUGS!

WSU worked out in full pads for just over two hours Tuesday...a
lot more energy at practice as compared to last week...a couple big pops by the
No. 1 and No. 2 defenses as they worked against the scout offense...cornerback Daniel Simmons highlighted the defense during the final team segment, corralling a tipped Marshall Lobbestael pass and taking to the "house" while the
offense was highlighted by a couple nice catches from tight end Andrei Lintz
who went up high in traffic to come down with two Connor Halliday passes...there were
some special teams segments, again focusing on field goals and punt coverage...one
noticeable difference at practice was that the players expected to travel this
weekend were wearing their newly issued Crimson helmets...the Cougs will work out
in full pads again tomorrow...coach Paul Wulff had his teleconference today and
we will add the video shortly...GO COUGS!

The Cougs worked out in helmets and their "skelly" shoulder
pads for 90 minutes in Martin Stadium Thursday...practice opened with a couple
segments focused on special teams, kickoff and punt coverage...the no. 1 and 2
defense then headed up to Rogers field to work against the scout team offense while the
No. 1 and 2 offense worked against the scout team defense in Martin...Marshall Lobbestael
made a couple nice throws in a redzone drill, throwing touchdown passes to
Kristoff Williams, Marquess Wilson and Jared Karstetter...the defense later
returned to Martin Stadium as the team worked on field goals...during the team
huddle after practice, coach Paul Wulff announced that Jared Karstetter, Alex Hoffman-Ellis,
B.J. Guerra and C.J. Mizell will be the team captains for Saturday's game...tomorrow
will be a walk-thru...GO COUGS!

The Cougars worked out for just over two hours in full pads
on a hot and muggy Rogers Field Wednesday...it was another day of implementing
the game plan for UNLV...after a couple segments of special teams for field goals
and kickoff coverage, the Cougs broke out with their individual position coaches and continued to work through
UNLV plays...the defense was flying around the field for most of the day but it
was Marshall Lobbestael and Connor Halliday who turned in a couple solid
performances during 11-vs.-11...Lobbestael connected with Bobby Ratliff for long
bomb during a hurry-up offense drill...Halliday had a great hurry-up drill,
hitting Bennett Bontemps for a long gain and throwing touchdown passes to
Kristoff Williams and Bontemps...Lobbestael made his best throw of the day
towards the end of practice, hitting Marquess Wilson for a long touchdown pass...the
Cougars continue practice tomorrow at 3:45 p.m., most likely working out with just
helmets and shoulder pads...GO COUGS!

The Cougs hit the Rogers practice field for a two-hour
workout in full pads Tuesday afternoon...the team ran through a lot of segments
with their individual coaches which focused on the game planning for UNLV...below is Coach Wulff's Tuesday teleconference.